Wolf Song
by Tenku Greywords
Summary: Running is all Chiku seems to be doing anymore; from the city, from help, and from the death in her lungs. No one said being a wolf is easy, and as Chiku meets and observes Kiba's pack, she realizes something painful; she has a lot to learn!(TsuxTob later
1. Chiku Running and Lashou of The Song

Author's Note; Forgive the repetitiveness of this, I'm sure you all might be tired of new characters, mainly She-wolves, but I will enlighten you and say none of my characters fall in love with the guys. In fact, they may or may not meet up with them; it is entirely up to what you want and the flow of inspiration.  I am open to ideas if you wish to give them, and I will tell you right now that I laugh at flames. Constructive Criticism is fine, and I just love Reviews. I hope you like these characters, and I do hope my spelling and grammar isn't all that bad. Ciao! Adios! Ja ne! And Bye-bye! Have a good read y'all and please tell me what you think!

P.S.; Kiba, Toboe, Tsume, and Hige do not belong to me. Neither do any other characters in the show that I have not mentioned just yet. However, Chiku and Lashou are mine, if you copy them I will report you, buster! Have fun, and please review and have a nice day -

Wolf Song

Chapter 1: Chiku Running and Lashou of the Song

Can one quite describe wolves, those present-day myths that supposedly exist in our world today? Few have seen these nomadic, ever wandering creatures. And some of those that have then devote their lives to finding them, hunting them, or ultimately killing them. But why? Some rambling lunatics say words like 'lunar flower' and 'Paradise' or 'evil' and 'blood thirsty'.

Of course, wolves have always had a bad reputation. A long time ago, when this planet was alive and warm, full of life, wolves were pushed near extinction. They were believed to be monsters that'd do anything to kill, bloodthirsty criminals who lusted only for blood. But tell me, who's the real monster? The wolves who only kill to survive...or the humans who persecute them mercilessly and kill them with glee? The tender wolves of which the human society is based upon, with all its hierarchy and nurturing.... or the humans who so treasure the death of all wolves and take a great deal of happiness from seeing the great, wild, fire in a wolf's eyes die? Who are the monsters, wolves or men?

You are probably wondering how I could be talking like this, especially in the form I am in now, the young woman who dwells in an ever-present cloud of shadow and mystery. The _human_ who forces smiles on her face day after day.

Well, to tell the truth, it's because I am not always this way, thank goodness. But I've learned the hard way that one such as myself is not welcome in the city when in true form. So now, this horrible, ugly, sorry excuse of a shell is my only way of blending in.

It's not hard though, people tend to stay away from me either way. They stay away from all wolves that harbor in superficial shells like my own, like we've got the plague or something. That's why it is always hard to find food and work. But I've come across very few of my wolf kind. In fact, I've come across only my family and one other. That one other was a wolf that soon died from grief; I did not pity him for he had lost his pride a long time ago.

You are probably wondering who I am, now that I've clued you in on little bits and pieces of my existence. But, I cannot say exactly, not in this form and definitely not now. But I will do my best. I am the freedom of running-even though I'm not very fast or very lean, I am the spirit that cannot be held down, the entity that cannot be deterred, I am the one who does not dwell in cages, I am the one who looks for a cure to my ailment caused by these horrid humans, I am the screaming wind, the pounding of my feet, the silvery wolf that can rarely be found by those who seek her. I am full of riddles, I am full of song, I am full of spirit, I am Chiku Running.

Before me I have seen my older sister fall prey to humans and perish, my younger sister die of the sickness that I now hold in my lungs as well, and my mother die of grief and starvation. My father I do not know and do not care for, there are things about him that should not be spoken of right now, it is too evil and too lacking in pride. The thing I hold most dear is the only other wolf I know, Lashou. She is the spirit of the song, and as you can most likely guess, her singing is beautiful if you listen. She sings of all our history, our past, our present, and…hopefully, she will sing of our future.

I would be lying if I said I did not love Lashou. She is what drives me on most days, that, and the promise of seeing another friend of mine and my family in Paradise.  Ah, Paradise… the key to my life. I will die if I don't get there, and I don't lie. Human smoke has poisoned my lungs, and the only cure is Paradise and its clean air and beautiful lunar flowers. Those flowers, they dance away from my grasp as I try to pull them into memory. Their sweet smell, their grace as they blow in the wind, and the sight of those endless fields. The laughter of friends and family as they gleefully play in those flowers…

Of course, I was just a pup then, with my eyes barely open. Even then those sounds and sights were blurry. It was my first time out of the den, but I'll always remember that day. It was the happiest and worst time of my life. For late into the night, the hunters came. My mother, my sisters, my father, Lashou, and myself were taken that night. We had been foraging, learning new skills. Lashou had accompanied us because her own family, the highest in rank, were enjoying themselves after so much confinement on her mother's part. She had been the only one to survive her litter anyway, so it was only fitting. My brothers escaped, luckily, and the humans never found Paradise.

From then on, I guess my life had been downhill. We escaped the butcher only to fall prey to the city. My father… he disappeared, intoxicated by this new life. We were left alone, and from then on people started leaving me…

Lashou will never leave me. Never. I'll never let anything happen to her. I swore to her the day my childhood sped on by, leaving me without a trace to where it had gone, that I would always help her and keep her safe. Likewise, she made a promise that was just like mine. We survived, from then on, only by lies and deceit; a world of which I never wish I'd known of.

In that aspect, I guess that is why I find myself here, in this stinking place, gathering what little we own. The inhalers I stole from the doctor's to prolong my life, the medicine we might need for sickness, bandages, necessities in general, space blankets for additional warmth, food that wouldn't expire, matches to light torches and fires if need be, and a compass; even though we wont need it. All of this and whatever Lashou could squeeze in were human things that might aid us if the need ever crossed us. Also, the precious compressed lunar flower my mother gave to me, locks of my mother and sisters' hair, older sister's favorite human necklace, little sister's favorite human-made doll, my own stuffed animal I received from mother when I was but a pup; a wolf-dog lacking marble eyes (I had chewed them out a long time ago), Lashou's bag of trinkets she's strived for, and my families' ashes to scatter in Paradise. Yes, all these things might be useless to most, but they are treasures to us. Not all will make it to Paradise, but we'll try.

I guess, judging from what I have packed into the backpack Lashou made that even in wolf form we can carry, we are in-between. I know a lot in human terms, but in all that knowledge I still know nothing of what exactly we are doing. All I can do or hope to do, I guess, is turn my nose to the wind and smell the flowers and let my wolfish instincts take over.

How do I know this? you might ask. I know this because I knew it from the beginning, I just didn't act on it until the night the flowers' sweet scent enticed me to follow. Follow what? Follow the path that I am now destined to follow.

TBC

Author's Note; Remember, Review or send me a piece of Constructive Criticism! Flames will me mocked and laughed at and used to warm my freezing little feet -


	2. Out of The City

Author's Note: I am so happy I got reviews! Thank you all so much, it makes me feel a whole lot better about this story. I am eternally grateful, lol!

P.S: I am open to ideas if you wish to give them, and I will tell you right now that I laugh at flames. Constructive Criticism is fine, and I just love Reviews. I hope you like these characters, and I do hope my spelling and grammar isn't all that bad. Ciao! Adios! Ja ne! And Bye-bye! Have a good read y'all and please tell me what you think!

P.P.S.: Kiba, Toboe, Tsume, and Hige do not belong to me. Neither do any other characters in the show that I have not mentioned just yet. However, Chiku and Lashou are mine, if you copy them I will report you, buster! Have fun, and please review and have a nice day!

Wolf Song

Chapter 2: Out of The City

The city and all its putrid stink and shadow conceals us as we move through the darkness of the alleys and secret routes we have planned to take on this flight out of the city. We don't make a sound, even though the glass and trash under our feet threaten to crack and penetrate the rubber souls of our shoes and betray our silence.

We are as silent as can be, and it is necessary. If we make one foul move in this city, we _will_ die. Whether it is a random mugger that happens to be out and about or the man and his dog we have come to fear ever since we came to this wasteland, we will die if we make one wrong move. This is our only shot, however, because the hard winter snow is going to be fast approaching; already the chill tries to seep into our bones and hinder us more and it is a mutual concern of my health. Even I do not know how much longer I can fight that ticking time bomb in my chest.

Lashou is behind me, and I don't have to look to see how her eyes shine with doubt. She yelled at me, saying this was a horrible idea; but she longs to leave this place too. She longs to leave behind the fear of Blue and her master, the wolf killers. Mother always taught us to fear them, always; and my older sister's death is a constant reminder of the consequences of disobeying that order.

The man, with his intoxication about him like a silken robe or a putrid smelling perfume, caries a gun that is almost as deadly as his wolf-dog; if he could be sober enough to aim right. Mother always said he was never without drink and he is what humans call an alcohol abuser, or a drunk. The wolf-dog beside him is just as evil; it takes pleasure in ripping flesh in its jaws, enjoying the rush wolf blood gives her as it sizzles its way down her throat. Yes, they were an evil pair, almost as bad as the poison in my lungs.

"Are we almost there?" Lashou whispers; it is so quiet, not even the rats and mice in this stinking alley can hear it. Only I can, Lashou knows this, otherwise she wouldn't have spoken and she would have held her tongue. She is smart like that, Mother taught us so well…

"Almost." I whisper back and then fall silent. We are reaching another point in our journey, the most dangerous one in this horrible, stinking, filthy….well, you understand where I'm going with this, city. We have to get past the city walls; we have to jump for safety, we can't afford to make the long, meticulous crawl down.

We reach an opening and I pause, and motion for Lashou to stay hidden. It is just faint, but I can feel my hackles rising. There is something wrong about this space, but we must cross it. I am more battle ready than she, and she obeys. Mother knows how much we fought for power…

As silent as the predator that I am, I glide through the open space, always wary and always ready. The old man could be out, watching…waiting for our escape. I must be careful, always careful.

A soft tinkling sound fills my ears, making them ring. It is unpleasant, like a tick biting one's flesh. It is the sound of glass crunching. I whirl around, facing a conjoining alley. The wind is blowing my way; and that is when I smell them.

"Go get 'er Blue." A silent command drifts in the wind and floats around me like the peaceful scent of the lunar flowers. There is a moment of tension and panic. Then, and only then, does all hell break loose.

Detaching myself from my spot, I jump to the air and watch with narrowed eyes as Blue, the satanic wolf-dog that took down my older sister, comes running through. Saliva comes down in rivulets and streams and a fiery anger in my chest begins to burn. Hatred. I hate this stupid mutt, this mongrel, this traitor to her own kind; and I come down on her without another thought to my human form. I snarl at her, biting and scratching. Her fowl odor hits me straight on and I feel the need to gag as his flesh enters my mouth. She yelps and I jump away, we circle each other. Then I launch at her unexpectedly, I am ready to draw first blood.

Blue doesn't know what hits her, the old fool. She snarls and growls, biting and yapping, but I know her movements well. _You can't fool me_! I want to taunt and yell, but now is no time for talking. The pack on my back is hindering my movements, so this must be quick.

With a might roar of my own, I launch myself into her again, plowing her over, and then I deliver a hard kick to her side. I see a bright trickle of blood from a cut from my shoe and I fight the urge to smirk. Domestication has weakened her, and she whines a pained whine as she goes flying into the garbage. How fitting, that is exactly where she belongs, that traitorous bitch.(1)

"Lashou!" a shout leaves my throat as my friend obediently darts forward. Blue's master is screaming and cursing, yelling at his stupid dog and us. Lights swirl behind him. The police. We have to get away now or it is all over!

Seizing Lashou's hand I take off at an all out run. It is now or never and Lashou knows it too. Fear, excitement, and the thrill of everything going on washes over us like water and then coddles us like a mother does her child. Nestled in the warm blankets of such emotions, our adrenaline picks up and so does our speed.  This feeling, it is near indescribable. Just like the Change, it cannot be held or touched, or even explained; it must be felt.

Air rushes past us, voices yell for us to stop, but we wont. We have to leave this city, get past this prison's walls. In my mind's eyes I can picture the flowers, so soft, delicate, and sweet. I want to touch them, grab them, reach up and see a sky full of blue, and let the fragrance of them force the poison from my lungs, which I can almost feel bleeding in utter agony.

My eyes begin to sting with tears, Lashou is panting, I am panting. The world is running with us, running into the abyss before us, guiding us. This feeling, Freedom, is it? I have no idea, all I can do now is leap past these gates and let my wings unfurl so I can soar across the plains before us. Just a little more… you can make it! Lashou, my friend, please, just a little more!

Jump!

The two humans streaked across the pavilion leading towards the edge of the city, impervious to the bullets streaking by them. The wind swam through their hair and their ears buzzed with their own heartbeats as their adrenaline pumped their blood through their veins… faster! Faster! Pain, that little bit of annoyance was pushed aside. They were the knights storming a dark lord's castle, the bird spreading its wings to fly. They were the very air around them; the shimmering stars in the sky above, the moon that rose high overhead. They were everything and nothing at the same time. They were in tune with the cosmos, that ebony blanket of unknowing, sprinkled with jewels of which we guide ourselves through the night.  To anyone who cared to understand as they beheld the sight, it was truly beautiful.

And as the two neared the edge of the city, they reached their climax in a leap of faith. They propelled themselves forward and jumped as bullets sang through the air all around them, their vibrations making the two's ears tingle and buzz. Their hearts leapt up and skipped a beat, as their stomachs seemed to lift. They fell and felt weightless, a feeling they had never felt before.

They landed in a crouch, cast a scornful, backwards glance at the city that had imprisoned them for so many years, and then took off into the night.

But their bodies didn't stay the same, oh no. They morphed and changed, twisted and popped. Nothing could quite describe it. The burning sensation as the forms they were so used to folded underneath them. The hearty popping and cracking of their bones and joints as they rearranged, the burning stretch of muscle, and the sharp bursts of sensation as hair formed on their bodies; for Lashou it was an intoxicating chestnut and for Chiku a striking silver one might expect of old age.

From the precious lengthening of their faces to form a sleek muzzle, to the pulling in their rump as their tails formed; all was held dear. So long had it been since they'd been in this form, so long since they'd felt the sweet burn of the Change, so long since they'd been natural and true… so long since they'd been wolves.

TBC

Author's Note: Please do read and review, and pardon any grammatical mistakes, lol!

1. If you don't know, a bitch is a female dog, lol.


	3. Lashou of Doubt and Chiku of Sickness

Author's Note: I'm sorry these first few chapters have been short! I'm trying to make them longer, but this is just a basis for the beginning, the whole plot line. And I promise I'll get Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe in somehow, alright? Oh! And thank you to reviewer Ashley, who told me Blue is a female _and_ a wolf! LOL! I never knew, guess I didn't research right, did I? Silly me, thank you for correcting me! I might change it, who knows? Lol.

Oh! And I know you're getting tired of this, but;

P.S: I am open to ideas if you wish to give them, and I will tell you right now that I laugh at flames. Constructive Criticism is fine, and I just love Reviews. I hope you like these characters, and I do hope my spelling and grammar isn't all that bad. Ciao! Adios! Ja ne! And Bye-bye! Have a good read y'all and please tell me what you think!

P.P.S.: Kiba, Toboe, Tsume, and Hige do not belong to me. Neither do any other characters in the show that I have not mentioned just yet. However, Chiku and Lashou are mine, if you copy them I will report you, buster! Have fun, and please review and have a nice day!

Wolf Song

Chapter 3: Lashou of Doubt and Chiku of Sickness

Chiku had no idea how much they ran that first night, or how much damage it was doing to her lungs. All they felt in that desperate run from the city was the exquisite, natural feeling of their muscles as they were put to use after quite a long while. This stretch and exercise was obviously long overdue. They'd spent too long in their human bodies, that was for sure! And now they were free from such imprisonment; and it felt good!

The ground rolled under their feet for such a long time, and they didn't bother to take even the shortest of breaks no matter how much their bodies began to ache. It was a silent, unspoken, mutual agreement that they had to get as far away from the city as possible. Neither wanted to ever meet up with the wolf hunter and his dog _ever_ again. They were tired of living in fear, tired of having to compress their wolfish pride, tired of hiding in general!

By the time the sun began to rise they slowed and found a nearby cave to spend some much needed rest time in. Their muscles burned and their bodies overall felt weary. That adrenaline that had helped them through the night flickered and died like a fire when sand or water is poured over it. It would be an understatement to say they were tired; because, in all, they were exhausted!

"I can't….believe…we made it!" Lashou gasped, more than happy to collapse in a comfortable spot on some dried grass. She flat out refused to change to a human again, she was too exhausted anyway. Besides, she was much more comfortable (and warmer) as a wolf anyway.

Chiku gasped and collapsed next to her, closing her eyes against the piercing sunlight that was just now starting to shine over the western ridge. Blood dribbled down her muzzle and she felt the familiar tightening in her chest that signaled bad times to come. Lashou licked her friend's face, concern evident in her wolfish gaze. The blood was definitely not a good sign; it meant Chiku's throat had been rubbed raw from all the running, and that would only add to the pain of sickness.

"Are you alright?" Lashou asked kindly as she lay back down and allowed her friend to snuggle in. Chiku nodded, grinning slightly, which was entirely different looking on a wolf rather than a human. Her lips seemed to tug back, revealing her white, razor sharp teeth, which weren't too comforting; unless you were of the wolf kind as well. And even though both were panting, they both shared that smile. It was a seemingly awkward moment though, as smiles were meant for people, not wolves. They were stuck in between once more. Caught between the canyon of humanity and their wolf blood.

After a moment more of awkward silence, Chiku merely brushed it off and gave a sigh as she moved a little ways from Lashou and turned her back to the sunlight as she curled up in her own patch that was close enough so they both could share body heat and comfort. Her brown eyes blinked lazily in a dog-like fashion and her tail wagged sluggishly, a sign that she was exhausted, but happy.

"I'm fine..." Chiku murmured languidly, even her wolfish voice raspy. The yips, barks, and other sound all strained her throat, which, hopefully and most likely, would be healed by the time she got up next. "Now go to sleep." She finished and let her body completely relax as the warm rays of the sun began to cast shadows on the barren earth outside. But she needn't have said anything, Lashou was already fast asleep, her legs occasional twitching. _She must be running,_ was Chiku's last coherent thought. It seemed that even in dreams the pair ran, but from what neither could even begin to guess.

* * *

What eventually awoke Chiku was not what she had expected when she fell asleep. She had expected to wake up when she felt hunger or maybe even the sun burning her back. But not even the blessed yellow orb in the sky had awoken her. No, the tightness and pain in her chest as she was slowly suffocated awoke her.

Chiku sat up, her eyes wide as the familiar talons of the poison gripped her. She felt her trachea closing, tightening, until she could hardly breathe. How she had slept this long she had no idea, but it was a miracle that she had. Another miracle was that she was even conscious! Sweat came down in the form of beads and tiny rivulets as she struggled to change. It was reluctant, but necessary. She relinquished the hold she had on her wolf form and let her body grow and pop back into human form. She did not much feel this change; she was too deep in concentration on keeping her breathing even and deep.

In the few seconds it took for her to change back into the form she'd been in for years, her breathing had gotten harder and harsher. Tears clouded her human eyes as she struggled to remove the pack on her back. She almost cursed herself for having forgotten it before. Several more, precious seconds passed by and Chiku started seeing black dots in her vision as a light-headed feeling overtook her.

The zipper was surprisingly easy no matter how weak she felt. With shaking hands she searched the pack and took out her precious inhaler. It was like the holy grail to her, the long-awaited feast for a hungry man, and the golden gates of Heaven towards a lost soul now freed from its Earthly ties.

Chiku prepared the inhaler and then placed it delicately in her mouth. She pushed down the button and took the biggest breath she was able. She gasped as the medicine traveled down her trachea, loosening her throat almost immediately. She felt it like one does food as it goes down, or perhaps as a bird feels a worm slide down its throat. Or maybe, she felt it like water feels the mist. Another squirt and Chiku began to breathe easier. Several more sprays, and she was back to her old self.

Chiku gave a long suffering sigh and collapsed back down, blindly groping around to put her inhaler away and zip up the bag. She was more than happy to force her body back into that of the silvery wolf that could not be caught, the one that was the singer of riddles and howler in the night. Of course…now she was exhausted!

_I never want it to get that bad again_! She thought dizzily, staring up at the dark cave ceiling. Slowly she let her weariness overtake her again, and then she let the deep dark of sleep overtake her again.

Of course, unknown to her was the pair of watchful, grief filled eyes of Lashou as she watched her friend surrender herself into sleep. Doubts swarmed over her head and clouded her mind. Thought of 'we shouldn't have left the city' and 'this isn't going to work' were in abundance. She thought they would never make it to Paradise, both of them would die before then. _The best thing to do_… Lashou thought, just as she was surrendering herself to sleep once more, _is to look for a new city_.

Of course, there was always the possibility that that city would be even worse than their last, and who knew how much Chiku could take before she surrendered to the poison, just as her little sister had? Who knew how much either of them could last once the first snow fell? Who knew anything at all?

TBC

Author's Note: Yay, another chapter! Kiba and gang might enter next chapter! Huzza! Lol, thanks for the reviews, keep 'um coming! Please? Lol, until next time!


	4. The Dead Forest

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, I've just been waiting for people to review. Maybe I'll spice up my description, lol. Oh, and if the question ever comes up; the city Lashou and Chiku left was NOT the one the series first started in. It is a city that's past that one tunnel that had once been filled with poisonous gas. Ya know, the one they entered in the one episode where they ran away from that big pack of wolves working for the humans? They tried to capture Hige? Anyway, here's the next chappy!

Oh! And I know you're getting tired of this, but;

P.S: I am open to ideas if you wish to give them, and I will tell you right now that I laugh at flames. Constructive Criticism is fine, and I just love Reviews. I hope you like these characters, and I do hope my spelling and grammar isn't all that bad. Ciao! Adios! Ja ne! And Bye-bye! Have a good read y'all and please tell me what you think!

P.P.S.: Kiba, Toboe, Tsume, _Chesa_ (she's new, lol), and Hige do not belong to me. Neither do any other characters in the show that I have not mentioned just yet. However, Chiku and Lashou are mine, if you copy them I will report you, buster! Have fun, and please review and have a nice day!

Wolf Song

Chapter 4- The Dead Forest

The two wolves stared at the landscape surrounding them with curiosity evident in their gaze. It was an entirely new terrain; yet, it was oddly familiar (if that made any sense at all). After waking up that morning, they had immediately set out at a moderate pace with a couple short breaks here and there, as they had every morning for the past two days. Finally, they had reached were they now stood at present, miles upon miles away from the city, in front of a large forest that stretched as far as they could see. It was ominous to say the least, much more different than the other small towns full of unpromising things they'd carefully darted around- too timid to enter, and it would have taken days to get around it. Thusly, they were seriously considering entering it, no matter how threatening it was.

"But we don't even know what's in there!" Lashou kept on insisting, her eyes full of obvious fear, even though part of her screamed to just give in and follow Chiku inside.

"And we don't know what could be waiting for us if we go around it either! We have to take a risk, and this one is the more practical _and_ shortest! Who knows how long the scent of the lunar flower will guide us?" Chiku growled, her eyes flashing with unbridled anger at Lashou. Somewhere, she too was scared at what lurked before them; but the intoxicating scent of the flowers went straight through the forest! They just _had_ to go through it!

"But it looks _dead_ Chiku! Look at it! We could become lost, or starve! There might not be enough water in our pack to last us!" Lashou cried.

"Well that's a risk we'll have to take, isn't it?" Chiku growled in a tone that usually meant the end of the discussion or argument. But Lashou was far from done arguing her case.

"What if there are hunters in there? There could be endless traps, just waiting for us! Do you honestly think running from these risks, following the meaning of your name, will truly help?"

That was it, the final straw. The last thing Chiku could tolerate at this point. Snarling, she pounced on Lashou, who let out a surprised, high-pitched yelp as they fell to the ground. But that surprise didn't last for long as an all-too-familiar natural urge kicked in. Both she-wolves fell on each other, biting and yapping, clawing at each other as they tried to assure themselves dominance over the other. It was a past argument revisited.

But it didn't last long, Chiku had more brute strength than Lashou, and she was the one who succeeded in gaining dominance. Lashou, firmly pinned under her, barred her throat in submission, whimpering as she strained to get from under Chiku's might. The silver wolf on top growled, barring her teeth, and then nipped Lashou's neck, showing she could easily kill her friend if she truly wanted to, and then got off to slide on their pack, considerably lighter after having been gone through one more time, and the more unnecessary things that hadn't already been used dumped out.

Tail and ears lowered in submission and whimpering as a small trickle of blood made its way from the nick on her throat down her brown fur, Lashou quietly followed Chiku into the forest, beside her but also a bit behind. Both girls' hearts were racing, their adrenaline pulsing, and their tongues hanging out the side of their mouths as they panted and tried to regain their air.

It was tense moment to say the least of it; with Lashou cowering beside her friend and Chiku trying not to let guilt creep up on her as she stared straight ahead towards a previously found entrance to the dead-looking forest.

------------Chiku------------------------------

I'm trying not to think about Lashou, even as the remnant of her coppery tasting blood leaves my mouth, hopefully for good. The trees now loom above us, and it is quite dim in here. Lashou is right; this is a very scary place to be. The only comfort I can find is the scent of the lunar flowers. I want to touch them, they seem so near. But I know they are far away.

Their smell, however, makes the sting of my scratches lessen and my guilt creep away. I wonder if Lashou can smell them, they're so sweet; so much sweeter than this fowl smelling place. This place gives me the creeps. I don't like it here at all. But it would have taken us days to go around this forest, if it's even possible to go around it.

"I'm sorry…" Lashou whispers quietly, eyes still downcast at the forest floor. I look back at her, and then I look forward again, I really can't afford to bump into any trees and hurt myself this early on, I tell myself. But in truth, I can't stand the hurt look in her eyes.

"Me too." I feel compelled to say, and I do. Neither of us likes it when we argue and revisit the fight of dominance. It's instinct to be dominant, at least for me it is. My mother was a pack leader, and that would be our family's destiny for as long as we were able to do it. Lashou's family was only second in line for leadership. Still, I wonder if she knows the urge to be on top…

"Are you… frightened?" I ask as casually as I can. Of course, I'll never admit that I'm probably as scared as she is right now; that's my role as dominate female. This place doesn't feel right. Where are all the animals? Why don't the birds sing here? Why is it so….dead?

"…Yes…" Lashou answers quietly after a moment of silence. I nod; I don't feel like talking much, my chest hurts and I can feel it squeezing me. Those damn humans, this stupid poison. I wish we were in paradise now... then I wouldn't feel this pain inside my breast.

I can feel Lashou drawing closer to me as we continue to make our way across the forest floor. It is covered in dead leaves and fallen trees, of which we now walk upon. This forest is decaying, it's frightening, and we've been here for so long, it seems like forever since we entered. I wonder what the lunar flowers could possibly have seen in this place…unless this was once a beautiful forest, and when the flowers died it became dead from sorrow…

A moaning sound makes my heart quicken. I feel like a frightened pup, it is only the wind. It has to be. Lashou whimpers and I can feel the hairs on my back rise. I don't like this.

"Be quiet." I whisper, and stop. She is huddled close to me. I stare up at the canopy of branches above us. Another moan, low and quite frightening, but no breeze disturbs a single hair on me, or torments me by brining the scent of the lunar flowers closer. This is not the wind…

"The trees are crying…" Lashou whispers, her eyes large with fright. I agree, the trees _are_ crying. No… they're _screaming_!

"Come on, let's keep moving…" my own heartbeat accelerates; I wonder if Lashou can hear it. It seems so loud, almost deafening. Like a pounding waterfall... We have to keep moving, I quicken my speed and Lashou matches it. I ignore the familiar tightening in my chest and I try to calm my erratic breathing.

The forest seems to scream and hiss at us as we move faster. '_No escape_!' it hisses.

No escape…

------------------------------------------

The two wolves ran faster and faster through the forest. Their eyes darted back and forth as imaginary monsters threatened them from the darkness of each and every shadow. Fear and panic surged through both until they had little regard to the branches that pounded them as they blindly ran on, driven insane by the constant murmurings of the trees they ran on and on; towards what they had no clue but they kept on going anyway, using every last breath they had. For hours, just like that first night.

Until, at last, the murmurings stopped and they found themselves gasping as they collapsed to the ground, a mixture of saliva and blood dripping from their drooping tongues. Scratches and bruises now littered their bodies, marring the beauty that had once been their perfectly clean fur. The look they gave each other was mixed; pain, fear, thankfulness for the other, and confusion.

"What happened?" Lashou whimpered, cuddling closer to Chiku who, miraculously, made it through her shared panic attack without the aid of her inhaler. The dominant wolf blinked her eyes quickly and took a protective stance beside Lashou, despite her own fear as something dawned on her. Something was driving them to a certain spot, like cattle.

"Something in this forest… is playing with us." Chiku murmured, barring her teeth in a growl as she barked up at the trees, snarling in her native wolf tongue.

"Who are you that plays such games? Are you a coward? Show yourself!" she growled, trying to sound sure of herself, even though she was anything but that.

Laughter, patronizing laughter, floated around them in an endless assault of pitches, before a rustle of feathers disrupted it and a crooked looking owl seated itself on a nearby branch. Both wolves felt their hackles rise, something was entirely wrong with that bird.

"Do you mock me?" Chiku snarled, baring her fangs, dripping with saliva, at the feathery creature. "I don't fear you bird! I am-"

"Two little wolves, all alone…" It murmured in an ethereal, haunting manner, and twisted its head all the way around in an eerily slow manner, eyes never blinking.

"I don't like this." Lashou whimpered and Chiku nodded.

"Do you know the way out?" Chiku demanded.

"Who knows anything?" the owl commented, cocking its head to one side. Chiku growled, barking at it.

"Stop toying with me you featherbrain!" she yelled, her temper flaring for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day.

"Follow me…" The owl murmured randomly, and then took flight, startling and baffling Lashou and Chiku.

"Hey!" Chiku yelled, and then took off, Lashou not far behind.

The owl lead them through what seemed like an obstacle course, and the two wolves found they had to dodge trees, side step quicksand, and avoid falling off fallen trees in an effort to not break a leg or, at the very least, sprain something.

"Where's he taking us?" Lashou cried, trying not to fall off the log they were currently darting across.

"I have no idea!" Chiku shouted over the roar of the wind in her ears, created by their speed. Her chest was tightening and she was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. _At this rate_, she thought, _I'll have another attack_!

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the creepy old owl stopped and landed on a nearby tree. Lashou and Chiku found themselves facing an opening in the trees, where several rays of sunlight streamed through some branches. The smell of lunar flowers was strong and enticing, almost intoxicating.

"Thanks, I think." Chiku murmured at the owl, which merely stared at them in a way that reminded Chiku of a wise old monk, or, perhaps, even a grandfather who'd seen it all. But most of all, it reminded her of something entirely different, something ethereal and majestic and not entirely there.

"Come on Lashou." Chiku ordered and then confidently began to go towards the most promising light that was just beyond a bit of bothersome foliage. Lashou meekly followed behind.

"Good luck, little wolves." The owl murmured after them, and with a mighty flap of its wings, turned around and flew in the opposite direction, disappearing as mysteriously as it had come.

"What was that owl?" Lashou asked quietly, getting even with Chiku, who cast a glance behind her. An understanding, knowledgeable look, crossed Chiku's face, softening it.

"A spirit of one who had died long ago." She murmured, fully aware of how little sense it might make to Lashou,

"Come on." And then she pushed aside the brush and darted into the light of their destiny.

Their destiny, as it turned out to be, was a beautiful resting place. There was a pool of crystal clean water surrounded by grass that was so lush and beautiful it looked to have come from Paradise itself. And that was nothing compared to the vast assortment of flowers that littered the ground like a magnificent carpet. The waning sunlight made no shadow fall on this place, and it seemed magical. The scent of lunar flowers was so strong here…

"How long were we in that forest?" Lashou murmured tiredly as she slowly nestled herself beneath and outcropping of rock in a nest of sweet scented flowers and soft grass. Chiku set their pack down, also tired from their seemingly endless trek through the forest, and joined Lashou on the soft mattress of plants, letting a tired sigh escape her as she once again reverted to her human form.

Lashou, tiredly, tail swishing lethargically, watched with a pang of sadness as Chiku unzipped their pack and took out her inhaler, and took several reassuring gulps of her precious medication before putting it away and happily returning to her wolf form, which, oddly enough, blended in with the tall grass sheltering them from prying eyes. In fact, she'd seem almost invisible to most.

"Chiku…" Lashou murmured tiredly when the younger wolf curled up without snuggling. The silvery wolf only lethargically opened an eye to gaze at Lashou for a moment, before tiredly murmuring;

"Go to sleep Lashou, I'm too tired to talk and snuggle tonight. We need our rest anyway." And then she was gently lulled to sleep by the sweet smell of the lunar flowers on the breeze. Lashou, likewise, fell into a deep slumber after discreetly moving closer to Chiku. While she wouldn't admit it, she was still frightened, no matter how reassuring this place was.

TBC

A.N. Well, I can promise you that in the next chapter, Lashou and Chiku will finally meet Kiba, Toboe, Hige, Tsume, and Chesa!

By the way, in case you didn't understand. The owl was the spirit of the dead forest. It guided Chiku and Lashou through the forest because, obviously, it 1) wanted them out and 2) well, that will be revealed later grin

Until next time!


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